Pitfalls of desktop dining

Who knew eating at your desk could make you sick, more tired or heavier than you want to be?

By KARA CHALMERSCORRESPONDENT

Published: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 2:54 p.m.

The lunch hour is becoming a thing of the past in America. In the interest of saving time or logging more hours, 53 percent of all employees take a half-hour or less for lunch, according to a survey by the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.

Facts

Snacking isn't a bad thing

If you're like most office workers, you're working more than eight hours a day. A lunch, no matter how healthy and energizing, is not likely to hold you over until dinner.

The following easy-to-eat snacks will not only keep your energy level up, they will also keep you from getting too hungry and thus overeating at mealtimes.

* Dried fruit

* Unsalted nuts

* 100 percent juice boxes

* Mini fruit cups (fruit canned in its own juice)

* Baby carrots

* Grape tomatoes

* Microwave popcorn (light, if possible)

If your drink of choice is coffee or cola, remember that caffeine is a stimulant and should not be used in place of food. "Caffeine might make you feel energized," said Cynthia Sass, a Tampa dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokeswoman.

"But true energy comes from calories." Instead of downing that second -- or ninth -- cup of coffee, try drinking a glass of water or taking a brisk walk, both of which stimulate blood flow and will make you feel more alert, Sass said._____

78% of employees eat lunch at their desks at least two to three times a week. Nearly 50% do so every day.

53% of all employees take a half-hour or less for lunch.

57% snack at their desks.

1 in 3 workers eat breakfast at their desk.

24% of workers always clean their desks before eating at them.

20% of workers never clean their desks before eating at them.

SOURCE: American Dietetic Association; ConAgra Foods Foundation

What's more, 78 percent of employees eat lunch at their desks at least two to three times a week. Nearly 50 percent do so every day. Nearly one in three workers eats breakfast there, too. And 57 percent snack there.

But cutting back on lunch breaks doesn't necessarily mean that workers are spending less time at the office. The survey found that more than half of all employees work more than eight hours a day. Fourteen percent say it's not unusual for them to work more than 10 hours a day.

There are a few reasons that these trends are disturbing, especially to dietitians. First, only 24 percent of workers always clean their desks before eating at them, and 20 percent never clean them, according to the survey. That means that bacteria living on dirty desktops are likely making their way into loads of lunches -- via utensils placed on desktops between bites, crumbs dropped on desks but eaten anyway and fingers that touch a computer keyboard or mouse, phones, pens, papers, the office water cooler or the communal stapler while eating.

Once the bacteria -- too small to be seen, smelled or tasted -- get into food and are consumed, they can cause stomach aches, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. A mild case of food poisoning might be mistaken for gas, indigestion, or food "not agreeing with you." In a severe case, the victim gets dehydrated and feverish and is hospitalized. That translates to lots of sick days. So much for working more.

Second, eating while working can lead to overeating, as people often get distracted by work and fail to notice when they're full. It's kind of like accidentally eating a whole bucket of popcorn while at the movies, said Cynthia Sass, a Tampa dietitian and Dietetic Association spokeswoman.

"It's very hard to focus on both," Sass said. "Probably, you're paying more attention to your work than your eating."

Sass also noted that distracted workers tend to make poor food choices. People who don't plan to either bring in a healthy meal or go out for one, or wait too long before eating, find themselves rushed and starving and will often opt for the most convenient foods -- those from a vending machine, the office candy bowl or a nearby fast-food joint.

Third, workers who skip lunch or skip taking a daily break from work can be less productive and more sluggish, which can mean working more hours, not fewer.

In general, Sass suggests that workers experiment with taking breaks.

"If you can't take a half-hour lunch, try taking 15 or 20 minutes," she said. "If possible, get away from your desk; go eat in the lunch room or outside. See if you don't get everything done, or if you get more done. You never really know until you try."

Demanding schedules

Karlie Bennett, 25, an administrative director and a real estate agent for a local construction and development company, regularly works 12-hour days. Her demanding schedule keeps her at her desk for meals -- lunch and breakfast two to three days a week.

Every once in a while, she takes an hourlong lunch break, away from the office. On those days, she returns to work feeling refocused, relaxed and more productive.

"But there are days when I'm not capable of doing that," Bennett said. "There's so much work to be done. ... I don't necessarily have the time to go sit somewhere and take a full hour."

So Bennett most often eats while she works -- typing and talking on the phone between bites.

"Any office work I can do sitting at my desk, I try to get done while I'm eating," Bennett said.

Bennett's usual lunch is a sandwich, pizza or pasta -- foods from takeout places that are easy and convenient. Plus, she drinks two to three soft drinks a day. For Bennett, bringing lunch to work regularly just isn't realistic. It entails grocery shopping, meal-planning and time to prepare, and by the time Bennett gets home from work, fixes and eats dinner and cleans up, she doesn't feel like making lunch for the next day. In the morning, she'd rather sleep the extra 15 minutes.

"Once every few weeks, I bring something from home, but I find it easier to order in," she said.

After she's been sick -- about twice a year -- Bennett will wipe her desktop and phone down with alcohol. Other than that, though, she doesn't clean her desktop.

Like Bennett, many workers -- even those who keep a spick-and-span kitchen at home -- don't clean their desks. For some, it never crosses their minds. Others, in fast-paced and busy workplaces, don't feel they have the time to clean their work spaces. After all, they're too busy to take a real lunch break.

Alvin Cummins, 51, a trainer and customer service representative at the Sarasota travel agency Legendary Journeys, is an exception. Cummins keeps a supply of Clorox disinfecting wipes at work. When he eats lunch at his desk -- about twice a week -- he wipes down his desktop and computer keyboard before eating.

Ramin Kouzehkanani, 41, the director of information technology for the city of Sarasota, goes a step further. He uses the same type of wipes as Cummins, but he washes his work space -- including his desk, keyboard, mouse and table -- every day, whether he plans to eat in-office or not.

Sass, the dietitian, said that using wipes (they should say "antibacterial" or "disinfecting") is a quick and easy way to get rid of the harmful bacteria that could be lurking on desktops. Otherwise, workers can use paper towels and spray cleaners, or bring in a clean, washable placemat.

She also pointed out that because the majority of illness-causing bacteria are spread through hands, washing your hands in warm, soapy water before and after eating (wash for as long as it takes to sing two choruses of "Happy Birthday") will cut down the chances of contracting a food-borne illness by 50 percent. Or workers could keep disinfecting hand towelettes or hand sanitizer at their desks.

Taking breaks

Kouzehkanani, Sarasota's IT director, eats lunch at his desk about two to three times a week. On those days, lunchtime is also a time to check and respond to e-mails -- he gets a lot of them. On days when he's less busy, he takes his lunch to a park bench on the bay, or at Laurel Park.

"Those days I feel great," he said. "Refreshed and relaxed."

According to Sass, taking a real break from work, even if it's just 15 minutes in your office kitchen or outside at a picnic table, can do a world of good -- both physically and psychologically. If you're away from your desk, phone, computer screen and paperwork, and you're focusing on your meal, you'll be less likely to overeat, and you'll feel more satisfied afterward. And if you take the time to prepare or go out for a healthy meal -- one that provides energy and is low in sugar and fat, which will make you feel tired later -- you'll come back refreshed, alert and ready to face the rest of the afternoon.

Sass suggests eating a balanced lunch containing vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein and a little bit of healthy fat -- all of which will supply a person with enough energy to last until dinner. For example, make a sandwich using grilled chicken breast, tuna in water or deli turkey, and either a whole-grain wrap, pita pouch or crackers. Keep a bag of frozen vegetables and a bottle of vegetable-oil based salad dressing in your office freezer and fridge, respectively. Bring in bags of prewashed and ready-to-eat salad, and chopped almonds or walnuts and salt-free seasoning for the veggies.

For those who find it difficult to bring lunch from home, consider forming a "lunch club" with co-workers and have each member bring in a different item -- a loaf of bread, a pound of deli meat, lettuce and tomatoes or condiments. Or you could "part-bring, part-buy," Sass suggests, meaning lunching on half of a take-out sandwich, for example, but microwaving some frozen veggies or making a salad, as well.

<p>The lunch hour is becoming a thing of the past in America. In the interest of saving time or logging more hours, 53 percent of all employees take a half-hour or less for lunch, according to a survey by the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.</p><p>What's more, 78 percent of employees eat lunch at their desks at least two to three times a week. Nearly 50 percent do so every day. Nearly one in three workers eats breakfast there, too. And 57 percent snack there.</p><p>But cutting back on lunch breaks doesn't necessarily mean that workers are spending less time at the office. The survey found that more than half of all employees work more than eight hours a day. Fourteen percent say it's not unusual for them to work more than 10 hours a day.</p><p>There are a few reasons that these trends are disturbing, especially to dietitians. First, only 24 percent of workers always clean their desks before eating at them, and 20 percent never clean them, according to the survey. That means that bacteria living on dirty desktops are likely making their way into loads of lunches -- via utensils placed on desktops between bites, crumbs dropped on desks but eaten anyway and fingers that touch a computer keyboard or mouse, phones, pens, papers, the office water cooler or the communal stapler while eating.</p><p>Once the bacteria -- too small to be seen, smelled or tasted -- get into food and are consumed, they can cause stomach aches, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. A mild case of food poisoning might be mistaken for gas, indigestion, or food "not agreeing with you." In a severe case, the victim gets dehydrated and feverish and is hospitalized. That translates to lots of sick days. So much for working more.</p><p>Second, eating while working can lead to overeating, as people often get distracted by work and fail to notice when they're full. It's kind of like accidentally eating a whole bucket of popcorn while at the movies, said Cynthia Sass, a Tampa dietitian and Dietetic Association spokeswoman.</p><p>"It's very hard to focus on both," Sass said. "Probably, you're paying more attention to your work than your eating."</p><p>Sass also noted that distracted workers tend to make poor food choices. People who don't plan to either bring in a healthy meal or go out for one, or wait too long before eating, find themselves rushed and starving and will often opt for the most convenient foods -- those from a vending machine, the office candy bowl or a nearby fast-food joint.</p><p>Third, workers who skip lunch or skip taking a daily break from work can be less productive and more sluggish, which can mean working more hours, not fewer.</p><p>In general, Sass suggests that workers experiment with taking breaks.</p><p>"If you can't take a half-hour lunch, try taking 15 or 20 minutes," she said. "If possible, get away from your desk; go eat in the lunch room or outside. See if you don't get everything done, or if you get more done. You never really know until you try."</p><p><b>Demanding schedules</b></p><p>Karlie Bennett, 25, an administrative director and a real estate agent for a local construction and development company, regularly works 12-hour days. Her demanding schedule keeps her at her desk for meals -- lunch and breakfast two to three days a week.</p><p>Every once in a while, she takes an hourlong lunch break, away from the office. On those days, she returns to work feeling refocused, relaxed and more productive.</p><p>"But there are days when I'm not capable of doing that," Bennett said. "There's so much work to be done. ... I don't necessarily have the time to go sit somewhere and take a full hour."</p><p>So Bennett most often eats while she works -- typing and talking on the phone between bites.</p><p>"Any office work I can do sitting at my desk, I try to get done while I'm eating," Bennett said.</p><p>Bennett's usual lunch is a sandwich, pizza or pasta -- foods from takeout places that are easy and convenient. Plus, she drinks two to three soft drinks a day. For Bennett, bringing lunch to work regularly just isn't realistic. It entails grocery shopping, meal-planning and time to prepare, and by the time Bennett gets home from work, fixes and eats dinner and cleans up, she doesn't feel like making lunch for the next day. In the morning, she'd rather sleep the extra 15 minutes.</p><p>"Once every few weeks, I bring something from home, but I find it easier to order in," she said.</p><p>After she's been sick -- about twice a year -- Bennett will wipe her desktop and phone down with alcohol. Other than that, though, she doesn't clean her desktop.</p><p>Like Bennett, many workers -- even those who keep a spick-and-span kitchen at home -- don't clean their desks. For some, it never crosses their minds. Others, in fast-paced and busy workplaces, don't feel they have the time to clean their work spaces. After all, they're too busy to take a real lunch break.</p><p>Alvin Cummins, 51, a trainer and customer service representative at the Sarasota travel agency Legendary Journeys, is an exception. Cummins keeps a supply of Clorox disinfecting wipes at work. When he eats lunch at his desk -- about twice a week -- he wipes down his desktop and computer keyboard before eating.</p><p>Ramin Kouzehkanani, 41, the director of information technology for the city of Sarasota, goes a step further. He uses the same type of wipes as Cummins, but he washes his work space -- including his desk, keyboard, mouse and table -- every day, whether he plans to eat in-office or not.</p><p>Sass, the dietitian, said that using wipes (they should say "antibacterial" or "disinfecting") is a quick and easy way to get rid of the harmful bacteria that could be lurking on desktops. Otherwise, workers can use paper towels and spray cleaners, or bring in a clean, washable placemat.</p><p>She also pointed out that because the majority of illness-causing bacteria are spread through hands, washing your hands in warm, soapy water before and after eating (wash for as long as it takes to sing two choruses of "Happy Birthday") will cut down the chances of contracting a food-borne illness by 50 percent. Or workers could keep disinfecting hand towelettes or hand sanitizer at their desks.</p><p><b>Taking breaks</b></p><p>Kouzehkanani, Sarasota's IT director, eats lunch at his desk about two to three times a week. On those days, lunchtime is also a time to check and respond to e-mails -- he gets a lot of them. On days when he's less busy, he takes his lunch to a park bench on the bay, or at Laurel Park.</p><p>"Those days I feel great," he said. "Refreshed and relaxed."</p><p>According to Sass, taking a real break from work, even if it's just 15 minutes in your office kitchen or outside at a picnic table, can do a world of good -- both physically and psychologically. If you're away from your desk, phone, computer screen and paperwork, and you're focusing on your meal, you'll be less likely to overeat, and you'll feel more satisfied afterward. And if you take the time to prepare or go out for a healthy meal -- one that provides energy and is low in sugar and fat, which will make you feel tired later -- you'll come back refreshed, alert and ready to face the rest of the afternoon.</p><p>Sass suggests eating a balanced lunch containing vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein and a little bit of healthy fat -- all of which will supply a person with enough energy to last until dinner. For example, make a sandwich using grilled chicken breast, tuna in water or deli turkey, and either a whole-grain wrap, pita pouch or crackers. Keep a bag of frozen vegetables and a bottle of vegetable-oil based salad dressing in your office freezer and fridge, respectively. Bring in bags of prewashed and ready-to-eat salad, and chopped almonds or walnuts and salt-free seasoning for the veggies.</p><p>For those who find it difficult to bring lunch from home, consider forming a "lunch club" with co-workers and have each member bring in a different item -- a loaf of bread, a pound of deli meat, lettuce and tomatoes or condiments. Or you could "part-bring, part-buy," Sass suggests, meaning lunching on half of a take-out sandwich, for example, but microwaving some frozen veggies or making a salad, as well.</p><p>For more tips on safe eating habits, visit www.homefood safety.org.</p>